UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

How My Senior Co-op Internship Turned Into A Job After Graduation

by Carla Alves

Oh, the Senior Co-op! If you think your other internships were hard, this will take the experience to a whole other level. The Senior Co-op internship is the last internship we need to complete in order to graduate from LIM College, and it requires students to work full time, four days a week.

My experience was pretty different from the other students, but still great. I interned in the Marketing Department of a wine and spirits importer and distributor. I was responsible for their social media and also helping with the many events that they had during the semester.

Being an intern isn’t always easy. People don’t always see you as part of the company—even though in my case most of them did. It’s also challenging to find your place within the organization, not only just doing what you are told, but also doing things to exceed people’s expectations.

What I believe made it possible to turn my internship into my first real job was an exceptional drive and effort. I never thought that just because I was only an intern I would have to limit my responsibilities. I actually did the opposite. I took on new challenges and did things I didn’t even know I could do.

In my first few weeks I volunteered to pour wine at an event and talk about the products to people in that industry, even though I knew almost nothing about it. When I showed that I was capable of doing more than the people at the company expected, that was when I really caught their attention.

Today I have a specific job description and a role within the company. People know when to come to me and what I do to promote the brands. It takes time and there’s a lot of frustration in the process of looking for a job, but the feeling of actually accomplishing that goal can’t be explained. I am just so happy and proud of my hard work!